May Wrap Up (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since it's the end of the month, it's time for the May Wrap Up! 

I haven't read a whole lot this month, but I definitely feel I finished the month strong, after reading my final read in just 4 days. Hopefully I can carry this through into June, and pick up some nice books on holiday too! (Whitby bookshop is absolutely stunning and I can't wait to see what I'm in the mood for.)

I read a total of five books, and although four of them were re-reads, they were all well loved. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my wrap-up! 

1. The Wake-Up Call, by Beth O' Leary 

I finally finished this! I've actually lost count how many times I've tacked this book on at the end of a monthly TBR, knowing full well, I probably won't get to it. So this month, I prioritised it more than anything else. To nobody's surprise, I absolutely loved it. I flew through it in 5 days, and it easily could have been four. It's been such a long time since I read a Beth O' Leary book, and it was fantastic to be able to get sucked straight back in. 

The Wake-Up Call is about Izzy and Lucas, who love their jobs at Forest Manor Hall- the hotel that's crumbling around them. It won't stay open past christmas without some sort of miracle- but they may have just stumbled across one. After Izzy manages to locate the owner of a lost engagement ring, an idea sparks- if they can relocate the owner of the four engagement rings that currently reside in their lost and found, they might just save the hotel. 

There's only one issue- to achieve this, Izzy and Lucas will have to work together. And that is something they don't want. Especially when there are unwanted feelings bubbling underneath the surface. 

2. The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7), by Lemony Snicket 

3. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8), by Lemony Snicket 

4. The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9), by Lemony Snicket 

 

Surprisingly, enjoyed these three more and more the further I got. 

I will always enjoy The Hostile Hospital because it was the first of this series that I picked up, before I started right from the very beginning. It's definitely not the book that moves the story the most, plot wise, but it will always hold a special place for me. 

The Carnivorous Carnival surprised me the most. Before this read through, I always remembered this one as the book I needed to get through, to get to The Slippery Slope, because I knew about a plot twist. But with this read through, I found it drew me in the most out of the three books read this month. 

What can I say about The Slippery Slope? I loved the focus on Sunny, and reading about her as a capable girl, rather than an infant. We get more answers in this one as well, but also more questions. From The Slippery Slope onwards, things get real. I can immediately tell that the next three books are gearing up for an amazing finale-book 13 (because there's a jump between consistent 250 page book, all the way up to 330-ish pages). Excited to continue reading for The Slippery Slope. 

5. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1), by Suzanne Collins

Before I decided to pick this up, the plan was to continue on with A Series of Unfortunate Events (the next book is The Grim Grotto), and carry on until I finished. However, I found that I wasn't interested, when I tried to start it. So, making a split decision, I decided to pick this up, in the hope that I could finish it before the month is out. At 454 pages, that's no small feat. 

But somehow I managed it! I read every spare moment I had, I made it a priority, and what's more, I'm eager to pick up Catching Fire as soon as I can. 

I always knew I would be picking this up at some point, because of SOTR, and all the film casting reveals, but reading it was so much better/ worse (because of the connections between the two books) but I'm so glad I delved back into this again, and read Katniss' story with fresh eyes. 

Okay! Those are all of the books I read in May! I will be back with my June TBR soon, though it definitely won't hold as many as this month (I'm going to Whitby blind as for what I'll be in the mood for.) 

Feel free to comment down below what books/films/tv shows you picked up this month, and we can chat about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

Emerging Fiction Authors

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with something I haven't done in a really long time- a book list! 

I want to start bringing more of these back, as a way to start motivated to post. 

I thought I'd start with something easy- I've read a ton of fiction authors recently, and this is the list of authors, whose books I can't seem to forget about. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Now, fiction is, admittedly, quite a varied genre. There's romance and historical fiction thrown into this genre, which is why I'm starting with it. 

This list is in no particular order by the way. 

1. Lucinda Riley 

If you're new to this blog, you might not be aware that for the best part of two years, I was up to my eyeballs in Lucinda Riley's books: first her seven sisters series, then her many standalones- 18 books in total. My work colleague was nice enough to lend them all to me. Although it's pretty unlikely, since Lucinda Riley passed away four years ago, and for her past two released novels, her son Harry edited and released them. 

Every book made me that much more obsessed with Lucinda Riley's story-telling, her romance, how accurate the time and place was like, since most of Lucinda Riley's novels had some degree of historical fiction to them. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all of her novels, and I know that the world has lost a great talent. 

Published novels: 

The Seven Sisters series':

2. Beth O' Leary 

As soon as I hear about a new Beth O' Leary book, I immediately add it to my mental TBR list. There have been some points where I've had a couple of her books ready, for when I feel in the mood to read them. Because I know that time will come, and that I will definitely love them. I currently have The No-Show on standby, for when I want to pick it up, and Swept Away will be out at some point between now and the end of June. 

Published books:

1. The FlatShare (read)

2. The Switch (read)

3. The No-Show (on standby)

4. The Road Trip (read)

5. The Wake-Up Call (read)

6. Swept Away (to be released soon)

3. Taylor Jenkins-Reid 

Although it's very discreet, because all of Taylor Jenkins-Reid's books are complete opposite in story, part of what keeps me intrigued in her books, is that they all take place in the same universe, and one character from each book will inevitably make a cameo in another of her novels. Her next novel, Atmosphere follows an all female team, making their way into space, and I have no clue with character is going to show up in this one. 

My first of her books I had the pleasure of picking up was Daisy Jones and the Six, which is a book comprised of a multitude of interviews and articles from the band, as well as their staff, friends and family. I listened to the audiobook, and I can confidently say that it was probably the best audiobook I have listened to, to date. 

Published books:

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (read)

2. Evidence of the Affair

3. Daisy Jones and the Six (read)

4. Malibu Rising (read)

5. Carrie Soto is Back (read)

4. Marian Keyes

I'm extrmely late to the Marian Keyes, given I've read a total of 2 of her books. But, despite reading Grown Ups over two years ago, it's still a book that has stuck with me, and every once in a while, I get the urge to go back and read it over again. 

Since then I've only picked up Rachel's Holiday, the second book in The Walsh Family series, and now I'm on the hunt to read yet more, from this amazing author. Her complete publicated works are:

The Walsh Family series':

1. Watermelon

2. Rachel's Holiday (read)

3. Angels

4. Anybody Out There? 

5. The Mystery of Mercy Close

6. Mammy Walsh's A-Z of the Walsh Family 

7. Again, Rachel 

8. My Favourite Mistake

9. Sushi for Beginners

10. Grown Ups (read)

11. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married

12. The Other Side of the Story 

13. Last Chance Saloon 

14. This Charming Man 

15. The Break 

16. The Brightest Star in the Sky 

17. The Woman Who Stole my Life

18. Under the Duvet 

19. Cracks in my Foundation 

20. Further Under the Duvet 

21. Making it up as I Go Along 

22. No Dress Rehearsal 

23. Saved by Cake

24. Nothing Bad Ever Happens in Tiffany's 

Clearly, I have some catching up to do. 

5. Kristin Hannah 

Another author that I've always wanted to read more of- that solidified when I got stuck in with her latest release: The Women, which is about the nurses of the Vietnam War. Partly during the war, experiencing the horrors the nurses faced on a daily basis, then partly afterwards, coming home and realising that people think what she set out to do was embarrasing and hidden, or even worse, being denied the acknowledgment that she was even there at all. 

I've only read the one book by Kristin Hannah, but there's no doubt in my mind, it won't be long until I'm packing up The Nightingale and Firefly Lane. 

Published works:

1. The Nightingale

2. Firefly Lane

3. Fly Away 

4. The Women (read)

5. The Great Alone

6. The Four Winds

7. Winter Garden 

8. Night Road

9. Home Front

10. Magic Hour

11. True Colours 

12. Between Sisters

13. Summer Island

14. The Things We Do For Love

15. On Mystic Lake

16. Angel Falls

17. Comfort & Joy 

18. Distant Shores 

19. Home Again 

20. If You Believe

21. Waiting for the Moon 

22. Once in Every Life 

23. The Glass Case

24. When Lightning Strikes

25. The Enchantment

26. A Handful of Heaven 

6. Fredrik Backman 

Again, I've only read two books of his, and probably the shortest two, as one was only about 75 pages, but much like the rest of the world, I fell in love after reading A Man Called Ove. He has a new book out in the next couple of months, it's on my Anticipated Releases post, and honestly, I can't stop thinking about his work. If you're interested, you can read all of my in-depth thoughts for A Man Called Ove, the link for my review is in the title. But let it be known that it's been two years since I read it, and I find I'm thinking about it most day, still. 

His published work includes:

Beartown trilogy:

1. Beartown 

2. Us Against You 

3. The Winners

4. A Man Called Ove (read)

5. Anxious People 

6. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry 

7. Britt-Marie Was Here

8. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

9. The Answer is No 

10. The Deal of A Lifetime (read)

11. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World 

12. My Friends

13. Sebastian and the Troll 

Okay! That completes the list of emerging fiction authors thst currently reside in my brain :-) . I know you all have your personal list in your brain, so pleasure share them with me in the comments. 

That concludes today's post, but I'll be seeing you all soon with my Monthly Wrap Up. I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

April Wrap Up & May TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since most of my month has mostly been re-reads, I will be including my TBR for May as well- which means I'm in this for the long haul! 

I don't really have anything else to say so, without further ado, I hope you enjoy. 

~April Wrap Up~

I read a total of 7 books in April, and frankly, I needed a good reading month, since I was struggling to keep up with my Goodreads goal- thankfully I'm now a book ahead and plan to keep it that way. 

1. Rachel's Holiday (Walsh Family #2), by Marian Keyes

What do I say about this book? Fantastic. Gripping. Emotional. It may have taken me over a fortnight to finish, but I felt so satisfied when I did. Rachel's Holiday tells her story of being admitted into a Rehab centre, in denial that her drug habit is completely normal. When she's dropped off, she plans to treat it all as some big holiday- just a break, in a centre that has a Spa, Gym, and celebrities in every room. She's in for quite a shock. Instead, she finds herself in a facility that has no secrets, no spa, no pool, and worse of all, not a single celebrity.  As she's forced to endure the public humiliation of forms, filled out by the people that have seen her drug problem first hand read out in front of the entire group, interviews in Group from her family and loved ones, she finally see for herself through the eyes of others. 

I asked for this book as a present about a year ago, unaware that it was the second book in a series. I've since found out, after starting Rachel's holiday, that she has two sisters, and each book in the series centres around a different sisters, so they can really be read in any order. 

Marian Keyes is an excellent writer, and one I always knew I wanted to continue reading after I finished Grown Ups- I've already seen Watermelon, the first book in the Walsh Family trilogy, in Asda, and I intend to read it before too long. 

2. Slated (Slated #1), by Teri Terry 

3. Fractured (Slated #2), by Teri Terry 

4. Shattered (Slated #3), by Teri Terry 

On my TBR, I hadn't decided between re-reading Slated, or The Hunger Games. Honestly, when I finished Rachel's Holiday, there was only one book I wanted to read. 

I finished Slated in 2 days, I was that invested in it. 

Slated is, and probably always will be, one of my favourite series' of all time. I read it for the first time when I was 15, and still to this day, I have never read a book like it. Slated is from the POV of Kyla- who has no idea who she is. The Government claim she was a terrorist. Because of this, she has been slated- given a second chance- all of her memories have been wiped away, and she's been given a new life, with a new family. 

But Kyla remembers things- memories that don't make sense, from her past life. She knows someone- someone close to her- is lying to her. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Such a fantastic trilogy- I was so happy to read them all again, straight through. I finished them all in 9 days. 

5. The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5), by Lemony Snicket 

6. The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6), by Lemony Snicket 

7. The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7), by Lemony Snicket

 

It was such a joy to get to these three books- The Austere Academy in particular introduces the reader to three very important characters- 2/3 of the Quagmire triplets. The triplets serve as a source of comfort for the Baudelaires, that have had nothing but misery since the death of their parents. The Quagmires are like them- orphans, with a large inheritence, and just longing for some comfort. From The Austere Academy onwards, the story changes from the somewhat repetitive storyline of the first four books, as the Baudelaires try to uncover the secret of V.F.D, outsmart Count Olaf, and get their new found friends to safety. But the more information the Baudelaires uncover, the more questions arise. The next book in the series is called The Hostile Hospital, and it also happens to be the first book I read in the series. I'm so excited to get to it. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in the month of April! Like I said, mostly re-reads, but they needed to be if I'm ever going to be successful in my reading goal for the year. Now that I'm a book ahead, I'm going to try and fit more new reads into my TBR- even though I'll still be continuing on with A Series of Unfortunate Events for the next couple of months. 

~May TBR~

1. Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

My colleague Kia lent this to me- which was so nice since she received it as a birthday present. I started it on tuesday, and I'm 16 pages in due to work and having no free time. 

When I was given it, I knew the name sounded familiar, maybe it was the name of an anime- I wasn't sure though. Turns out, I was bang on. (Though most of you might not recognise the book cover, but this is the anime cover:)

To be honest, I knew squat about what this book was about, all I even know now is that Sophie, the protagonist, is cursed by a witch and must travel to the legendary Howl Castle, which can change location in the blink of an eye, and contains the wizard, who devoures the hearts of young girls. 

It's the first book in a trilogy, and hopefully I enjoy this as much as I think I'm going to, and continue on with the series at a later date. 

2. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8), by Lemony Snicket 

3. The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9), by Lemony Snicket

4. The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10), by Lemony Snicket

In truth, I don't remember a whole lot about book 9 onwards for this series, so it'll be nice to have a refresher. What I do remember is that these three books are some of the most dramatic of the series, complete with head surgery, arson, murder, kidnapping and a lion pit! 

We're slowly getting closer to the end of the series, with just three books remaining after I tackle these three, and I'm half/half on wanting to find out what happens next, but also never wanting it to end! 

It's been great to see the Baudelaire orphan's daunting journey turn them into the daring, capable children I'm reading about in book 8- but I do wish them some happiness soon. 

5. American Gods (American Gods #1), by Neil Gaiman

I'm adding this onto my TBR because I'm determined to read all the birthday/christmas presents I've received in the last year or so. As I said before, I am aware of the allegiations directed at Neil Gaiman, but that doesn't mean I can't still enjoy his work. 

American Gods is about Shadow, a prisoner, who on the verge of being released from prison, receives the news that his wife Laura has passed away. Numbly, he boards a plane home, where he meets an eccentric character called Mr. Wednesday, who just happens to be a refugee from a distant war, a former God, and the King of America. 

With little direction, the two men set out on a road trip across America, whilst all around them, a storm- an unnatural, and of epic proportions- threatens to break around them. 

There are extremely mixed reviews on this book, all one and 4/5 stars, so I'm not sure what I'll make of it. But I'm determined to give it a try. 

6. The Earthsea Quartet (Earthsea Cycle #1-4), by Ursula Le Guin

One of my work colleagues (a different one to the colleague that lent me Howl's Moving Castle) had a second copy of this- I am now the proud owner of said second copy (couldn't be happier as Earthsea is one of the most classic fantasy series of all time). 

It definitely isn't a small book, given it's just shy of 700 pages, but as the name suggests, it's four short stories, rolled into one. 

Like with Howl's Moving Castle, I have no idea of what this book contains, but it's never a bad thing to be compared with Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, so I'm ready to commit to what could be considered one of the best novels released in the twentieth century. 

7. The Wake-Up Call, by Beth O' Leary 

I think this is the third time I've added this book, most likely on the end, each time. But it doesn't matter, because I will be picking it up as soon as I finish my CR. 

If you didn't know what this book is about, allow me to express it in bullet points:

• Hotel is threatening to close. 
• Two members of staff, who hate eachother, find a ring and return it to the missing couple. She's gives them an extremely large reward. 
• There are several other rings in the lost and found. Izzy and Lucas hatch a plan- if they locate the owners of these rings- they might just save the hotel. 
• Also, they can't seem to stop flling in love with one another. 

That's basically the bare bones of the story, I'm sure there's a lot more to it, but that's basically the premise. I really need to get to this soon, because I know I'm going to love it. 

Okay! That's me done! I was always considering posting these two together, as most of the books I finished in April were re-reads, but I definitely wasn't banking on the second part taken the best part of three days to complete! 

Nevertheless, it's finally done, and I can get started on my review for Rachel's Holiday, which will be coming to you soon! 

As always, feel free to comment what you all got up to last month, I'll start: 

I FINALLY RAN BOSTON MARATHON (Lincolnshire) AND HAVE SIGNED UP FOR LONDON NEXT YEAR (99% sure I won't get in as over 1 million people signed up, but I can dream). 

Okay! That is all I have for you today! I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx